Dublin company claims to have discovered 'free energy'

A Dublin-based company is claiming to have defied the laws of physics by creating a way to generate energy for free.

Steorn Technology says it has found a way to construct magnetic fields that can create excess energy out of nowhere.

Steorn says the breakthrough could eventually eliminate the need to burn oil, gas and other fossil fuels.

Steorn is inviting scientists to conduct tests to verify its claims, but one physics lecturer quoted in this morning's newspapers says the notion of "free energy" is impossible.

He says the company may have developed a more efficient form of energy conversion, but it must be getting the energy from somewhere in order to convert it.